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<blockquote data-quote="Noctem" data-source="post: 6820397" data-attributes="member: 6801315">1a.&nbsp; Agree to disagree, I've had experienced people comment that the default RAW is not a good system.&nbsp; My houserule is based on this feedback.1b.&nbsp; Because you go from &quot;We're walking down a trail in the woods trying to find plot point X to ok roll initiative out of nowhere for no reason.&nbsp; It broke immersion for the players I played with and it does for me.&nbsp; So based on that feedback I implemented the houserule.1c.&nbsp; Example:&nbsp; The advisor for the story is about the betray his king by killing him in front of a crowd of people in order to attempt to usurp the throne.&nbsp; The party has no idea this is about to happen.&nbsp; They are participating at a banquet which was set up as a thank you for stopping a band of marauders (secretly working for the advisor).&nbsp; Saying &quot;Ok roll initiative&quot; in the middle of the banquet for no reason:&nbsp; Breaks immersion for the players, ruins the surprise of the event for the players, gives away that not all is as it seems, causes confusion, etc..&nbsp; I would much rather narrate that out of nowhere the Advisor stabs the king.&nbsp; Then have initiative rolled, assign surprise, etc..&nbsp; The players are then going holy <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> what the hell is that guy doing?!&nbsp; They are surprised, just like their characters.2.&nbsp; How could they know what's going on if I, as the DM / window into the game world / narrator, has failed to provide any context or information for what is going on?2b. How do they know the intent of creatures around them in the game world when you as the DM don't / can't tell them?&nbsp; Are they playing psychic characters?2c.&nbsp; I see it the other way around.&nbsp; Since I provide context and reason behind the surprise and you do not prior to engaging into combat. C'est la vie, happy gaming.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Noctem, post: 6820397, member: 6801315"] 1a. Agree to disagree, I've had experienced people comment that the default RAW is not a good system. My houserule is based on this feedback. 1b. Because you go from "We're walking down a trail in the woods trying to find plot point X to ok roll initiative out of nowhere for no reason. It broke immersion for the players I played with and it does for me. So based on that feedback I implemented the houserule. 1c. Example: The advisor for the story is about the betray his king by killing him in front of a crowd of people in order to attempt to usurp the throne. The party has no idea this is about to happen. They are participating at a banquet which was set up as a thank you for stopping a band of marauders (secretly working for the advisor). Saying "Ok roll initiative" in the middle of the banquet for no reason: Breaks immersion for the players, ruins the surprise of the event for the players, gives away that not all is as it seems, causes confusion, etc.. I would much rather narrate that out of nowhere the Advisor stabs the king. Then have initiative rolled, assign surprise, etc.. The players are then going holy :):):):) what the hell is that guy doing?! They are surprised, just like their characters. 2. How could they know what's going on if I, as the DM / window into the game world / narrator, has failed to provide any context or information for what is going on? 2b. How do they know the intent of creatures around them in the game world when you as the DM don't / can't tell them? Are they playing psychic characters? 2c. I see it the other way around. Since I provide context and reason behind the surprise and you do not prior to engaging into combat. C'est la vie, happy gaming. [/QUOTE]

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